


"Angel" Is The Only Word

by AliceMarylin1999



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Aziraphale (Good Omens), Oblivious Crowley (Good Omens), Slow Burn, Soft Crowley (Good Omens), South Downs Cottage (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:53:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22577353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMarylin1999/pseuds/AliceMarylin1999
Summary: Book!Omens story of how Aziraphale and Crowley became each other's everything.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 147





	"Angel" Is The Only Word

1995

Aziraphale was perfectly relaxed on his sofa, legs stretched on the nearby chair, a glass of rose wine standing on the coffee table. Crowley was lying on the opposing sofa, his long limbs sprawled like some bizarre tree branches or spider's legs.

"Angel", he said all of a sudden.

"What?", Aziraphale replied lazily 

"Do you think we're friends?"

This question seemed to be asked completely out of blue.

"Of course, we are”, Aziraphale said, raising a little bit. “Why would you ask?"

"I’ve just realized that you're my best friend", Crowley answered seriously.

Aziraphale threw a glance at the demon. He took his glasses off a long time ago and now was gazing, unblinking, to the wall. His dark hair was a bit messy, and his high cheekbones were slightly blushing. The sight of him was rather pleasing.

"I'm glad to hear that, Crowley”, Aziraphale smiled. “I've considered you my best friend for a long time now"

"Demons are not supposed to have friends", Crowley muttered grimly.

"But you do", Aziraphale pointed out.

"That's strange", Crowley said, shaking his head a little bit.

"You're a demon, aren't you?”, Aziraphale started patiently. “You are. You have a best friend. You said it yourself. So, supposed or not, demons can have friends and they do, in practice"

"You're so fucking clever, angel", Crowley replied with sarcasm.

"Thank you, my dear", Aziraphale said with a sweet smile. He just loved seeing Crowley in his room.

"That wasn't a compliment", Crowley said.

"And that wasn't gratitude", Aziraphale answered.

They both laughed. 

2003

Aziraphale moved to a cottage in South Downs in early 2003. He grew tired from London so much, he even left his bookshop in the hands of his newly found manager. When Crowley heard the news he seemed unpleased and said that whatever it was between him and Aziraphale, the angel shouldn’t hope that Crowley would abandon London even for a while.

Aziraphale never expected this sort of sacrifice from the demon, and kindly agreed to come to visit him in London once or twice a year.

However, two weeks after Aziraphale moved, Crowley called him and came uninvited. He stayed the night and came back within a few days.

In a month, he took some of his plants with him and stayed for a week.

By the end of spring, Crowley was already working in the garden. With a little demonic help, some of the flowers were already blooming.

It was a golden morning, and Aziraphale was sitting in a kitchen with a book. Crowley, wearing an oversized T-shirt that bared his lovely pale shoulder and black jeans, came down from his (already, his) bedroom and, without as much as saying “good morning”, walked straight to a counter where the coffee pot was standing and helped himself to a mug of black coffee.

"Crowley?", Aziraphale called him out with a cunning smile.

"M?", murmured a demon, raising an eyebrow underneath locks of black hair that fell all over his forehead in a lovely mess.

"I think you need to tell me something, dear", Aziraphale continued.

"What?", Crowley asked, still staring with his snake-like expression, unblinking.

"Well, it's up to you to tell me", Aziraphale suggested.

"I have nothing to say"

"Very well”, Aziraphale sighed. “Then I'll ask. Do you live here or not?"

Crowley’s eyes rounded.

"What?!"

"Yes, or no”, Aziraphale demanded. “Do you live here or you're just staying for a night, six months straight"

"What difference does it make?", Crowley went on, stubbornly.

"It makes a huge difference”, Aziraphale insisted. “I want you to admit your living situation"

"Fine”, Crowley said tensely, putting his cup on a counter. “I live here. Do you have problems with that?"

"Only with your reluctance to admit it", Aziraphale said, feeling glad of himself.

"I've just admitted I live here", Crowley replied, irritated.

"So, we live together?", Aziraphale guided him.

"Apparently", Crowley shrugged.

Aziraphale smiled.

"No, not apparently. Yes or no, dear boy"

"Alright, alright!”, Crowley groaned. “We live together, angel!"

"Very well", said Aziraphale and went back to his reading.

Crowley stayed where he was, still staring at him.

"That's it?", he asked warily, looking at Aziraphale, who was completely absorbed by his reading.

"That's it", Aziraphale nodded.

“So, you just wanted me to say we live together?”, Crowley went on, hesitantly.

“Uh-huh”, Aziraphale hummed, with a delighted smile, his eyes still on the book.

Crowley made himself comfortable at the table and drank his coffee. Aziraphale could feel the demon’s eyes on him for at least five minutes.

2004

At first, when Aziraphale installed the big flat screen in a living room, Crowley was reluctant to put his head on Aziraphale’s lap while he lied on his side. He put a pile of uncomfortable pillows, trying to make his poor head at a proper angle, and Aziraphale, who always sat straight, watched him torture himself with patience.

“Just put your head on my lap, Crowley”, he said one day, unable to take it anymore.

Crowley refused at first, but the next evening he did it himself. The angel’s lap turned out to be the most comfortable, cozy and fitting place for his head, after all.

After that, he didn’t do it just when they watched television – he seized every opportunity to place his head on Aziraphale’s lap, whenever he was reading on a couch.

Aziraphale himself enjoyed watching Crowley so relaxed and cozy and ran his fingers through Crowley’s hair. Crowley showed only mild annoyance with that, but when Aziraphale stopped, he demanded him to continue.

Then he found that Aziraphale’s shoulder was a perfect place for his head, too. Then he discovered that wrapping his arms around the angel, while putting his chin on Aziraphale’s shoulder was extremely pleasant, too.

And before either of them knew it, they were incapable of not embracing each other or holding hands for more than a couple of hours.

2005

It was one particularly cold and windy night when Crowley was lying, as usual, on Aziraphale’s lap, covered in a blanket and shivering from the cold. Crowley still had something of a snake in him, and cold weather in England didn’t sit well with him.

“Angel”, he pleaded. “I’m cold”

“Take my jumper”, Aziraphale said, without as much as lifting his eyes from the book.

“It doesn’t help”, Crowley insisted, his teeth shattering. “I need something warm near me. Hold me, please”

Aziraphale wanted nothing more than to keep Crowley from freezing. He seemed so innocent and so fragile in his arms, as he nuzzled in the spot of skin between Aziraphale’s neck and shoulder, that Aziraphale felt his heart flood with warmth and something he couldn’t describe quite yet.

He didn’t think much, as he kissed him softly on a temple.

And then on a cheek.

And then Crowley, shivering, turned his face and kissed Aziraphale’s cheek in return.

“Are you still cold, dear?”

Crowley didn’t answer, but his face was now as close to Aziraphale’s as it had ever been.

When their lips touched, both of them were shivering equally.

“Crowley”, Aziraphale whispered in between kisses.

“Yes, angel. Yes”

The evening became the night and the night became morning, but they never moved from that haven under the blanket on a small couch. For a few hours, all that existed were their breaths on each other and the shiver of their bodies.

**

2006

Usually, they didn’t engage in discussions after watching a movie, especially when it was romance period dramas.

But God only knows, why they were so passionate about that particular one.

"Well, if he loved her, he should've told her so!", Aziraphale insisted. “How was she suppose to know, if he never spoke?”

"What if he couldn't?", demanded Crowley. "Not everyone is good with words"

"It's not that hard", Aziraphale replied. "It's just three words. You don't have to make up your own. Just repeat it"

"It's not that easy", Crowley said gloomily.

"Might be, but it is simple", Aziraphale said. "You love someone - you tell them. I would've done so"

Crowley seemed a bit disturbed by that last phrase. 

"Just like that?", he asked, his eyebrows slightly frowning.

"Of course,", Aziraphale nodded. "I would've told someone I loved them the very moment I knew it"

Something dark clouded Crowley's face. He rose from the couch and went to the kitchen.

"Whatever, angel", he murmured.

Aziraphale was puzzled, but he didn’t want to push.

Crowley seemed distant for the next few days. Only when he withdrew himself, Aziraphale realized how he got used to holding him in his hands and kissing him so many times a day, he lost count.

The demon was working in the garden all day. When the sky darkened, he went up to his room and closed the door.

Aziraphale didn’t know what to think until he replayed the last conversation they had, word to word.

“Crowley!”, he knocked on the door.

Silence.

“Crowley, dear”, Aziraphale went on. “Please, let me in”

“Come in”, Crowley repeated flatly.

The demon was sitting on the bed with only the dim light on and looked in the ceiling, sulking.

“I’m an idiot, Crowley”, Aziraphale said. “I’ve just realized what exactly I said yesterday and what my words implied”

Crowley turned his face to him.

“You must’ve thought I don’t love you since I never explicitly told you that”, he said with sadness.

Crowley’s pupils widened.

“But I do love you, Crowley. Exclusively. Not just as a friend. And not just as a lover. Like a soulmate, as a darling and precious soul,” Aziraphale exhaled loudly. “I know that words such as “love” come with a great deal of trauma to a demon. I know that and I don’t expect you to say the words. I don’t need them. All I need to know is right in front of me”

“Angel”, Crowley whispered, his golden eyes sparkling with something gleamy.

Aziraphale sat on a bed and took Crowley in his arms.

“Only you can say so much with just one word, Crowley”, Aziraphale whispered in the demon’s ear.

“Angel”, Crowley still whispered, hot tears running down his face.

2019

Aziraphale was rearranging the books in his library. Crowley said he was going to London, so he was really surprised when he heard his footsteps only half an hour since the demon left.

“What is it, dear?”, Aziraphale asked, not bothering to turn around.

“Angel, look at me”, Crowley said quietly.

Aziraphale turned around and looked at the demon. He seemed concerned and preoccupied.

“What is it?”, Aziraphale asked worriedly.

“I love you. I love you, Aziraphale”, Crowley said softly.

“Does it hurt to say it?”, Aziraphale asked.

“No”, Crowley shook his head. “It was hurting not to say it for all those years”

“But you did tell me you love me, Crowley”, Aziraphale whispered, putting his hand on Crowley’s arm.

“How so?”, Crowley asked, his lips widening in a happy smile.

“Each time you said “angel” I knew you loved me more and more”, Aziraphale answered, just as happy as Crowley.

And then no words were necessary anymore.


End file.
